In the game of golf, putting the ball on the green is of utmost importance. It can account for half of the score and therefore can easily win or lose the game for you. The fewer strokes it takes to get the ball into the hole, determines the winner. After the golf ball is driven off the tee it then goes onto the fairway, or maybe onto the putting green, the ball is stroked until it reaches the green surface. Again the ball is stroked until it goes into the hole. Each stroke here counts the same as a stroke, the 240 yard drive, the 150 fairway shot, and the putt which may be 3 feet. The golfer must be able to know how firmly to strike the ball to accelerate the ball to the hole and yet not go past the hole. If the ball passes over or beyond the hole it may take one or more strokes to get it back and into the hole. If it does not reach the hole, it cannot go into the hole. It is imperative for the golfer to have the knowledge to be able to tell how fast the ball will travel on this surface at this time.
The surface of the green can slow down the speed of the ball or allow it to roll very fast over it""s surface. The surface is affected by a number of factors. On a level surface the height of the grass, moisture, cut of the grass, fertilization, temperature, wind velocity, type of grass, and other factors will affect how fast or slow the ball travels over the surface. The speed of the green can change hourly, making it even more difficult to evaluate. This invention was developed to help the golfer evaluate this surface speed easily.
In 1937, Mr. Edward Stimpson invented an instrument he called a stimpmeter. This instrument was and still is used as the standard for evaluating the greens speed. It does an excellent job and is used by the professionals on most all the tournaments. The greenskeepers of the golf club rate the greens and give each one a score. The stimpmeter can be purchased from England for 52 pounds. This is approximately $81 to $120 depending on the pound value at the time. The stimpmeter can also be purchased through some places in the United States but they are not routinely sold by many stores here. The stimpmeter is a long V-shaped aluminum rod that has a trigger at the top for release of the golf ball. The bar or rod end is laid on the ground and the loading end held up to make a 20 degree angle with the ground. The ball is then placed on the top of the trough and then released by the use of the trigger. The ball then rolls down the trough and onto the putting surface. The ball will travel as far as the green will allow and this distance is measured. The distance it travels is then compared with a standard chart which indicates what the rating will then be on this green. As an example, if the ball travels 5 feet on the putting surface, the rating may be 0-4 feet=slow, 4-6 feet=medium and 6-8 feet fast, then the rating would be medium speed. However, there is usually more specificity to the rating and the 5 foot distance may be considered a slow-medium, or just the number 5. The professionals usually have the number figure for the ratings provided to them. Therefore, if the ball rolls 11 feet, then the rating for that green is 11.
Most golf courses in the United States do not rate or grade the greens. This is for a number of reasons. One main reason is the personel needed to grade or rate the green. It is time consuming and requires some knowledge of the usage of the stimpmeter. It requires the purchase of the stimpmeter which is somewhat expensive. The rating of the green can change daily and if not read recently can give the golfer false information. This could anger the golfer if he is given erroneous information, and makes a poor putt based on the rating given to him.
The invention presented here is a new collapsible, portable, simple, golf greens speed meter which can be used by the amateur golfer or the professional. It is lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to use. It requires no expertise to use and is very accurate. It can be easily placed in, or on, the golfer""s bag or into his pocket. It will give the golfer the information he needs on the putting surface of the green.
There is a need for a greens speed meter to determine the speed of each green the golfer is putting on. The stimpmeter is large bulky and difficult to use. It is available for the professional golfer mainly and the average golfer never gets to have usage of it. Presented here is a device which can be purchased by the amateur golfer and used whenever he needs it. He can use it when the golf course attendants do not want to grade the greens or are unavailable to grade the green. The collapsible, portable greens meter presented here gives a very accurate reading of the green and in fact may be more accurate than the stimpmeter which is the standard. It differs from the stimpmeter also in that it is easily placed in the golfer""s pocket or his golf bag. It also sits on the ground and is more stable than the stimpmeter. The angle is about 30 degrees incline for the ball route while the stimpmeter is 20 degrees. It will be made of plastic, although it could be made of aluminum or wood, and will be less expensive to the golfer. The golfer, even working with this device, will familiarize himself with the greens speeds and how to make a more accurate putt. The golfer will also know the evaluation is accurate and taken at his direction and at the time the putting is to be done.